


The In-Between

by DeutchRemy



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22673704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeutchRemy/pseuds/DeutchRemy
Summary: Just another fluffy post-gate fic featuring El and Hopper, with appearances by Joyce and co.  Some Jopper popping up later on.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper & Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

El doesn’t remember much between collapsing in Hopper’s arms and waking up in a very large bed that smells like Will’s mama, but bits and pieces are beginning to come back to her.

She recalls shaking uncontrollably on Hopper’s lap as a dozen concerned faces stared at her. 

Feeling self-conscious and vulnerable and turning her face into the man’s neck, away from the prying eyes. 

Will’s mama - Joyce is her name - speaking to her in soothing tones and rubbing her back. 

Hop holding her tightly and not wanting him to ever, ever let her go. 

She recalls the wonderfully icy feel of cold apple juice sliding down her abused throat as Joyce held the glass to her lips. Hop rocking her from side to side and murmuring comforting nonsense through his own tears.

Hopper helping her sit up in a bathtub while Joyce massaged shampoo into her hair.

Hopper’s large, calloused hands under her armpits, lifting her out of the tub, his forearms sudsy as he held her upright against himself. 

Whining and grasping at the man’s upper arms, afraid she might slip out of his grasp despite his repeated mantra of “I got you, I got you”. Joyce hurriedly wrapping her in a towel.

Instinctively reaching for her teddy but not finding it as Hop laid her down on a soft mattress in a dark room.

The feel of Hop’s whiskers as he kissed her cheek, and being lulled to sleep by his hand smoothing down her hair.

What she doesn’t recall is falling asleep with a screaming headache, but she certainly has one now.

She opens her mouth to call for Hop but only manages a hoarse squeak. She tries again, to no avail. It feels like somebody punched her in the throat. Frustration, growing panic, and pain take hold and the tears begin to fall, streaming down her face as she struggles to get out of bed.

She frees her feet from the tight confines of the covers, slides out of bed, and braces herself against the side as a head-rush overtakes her and her knees buckle. She stays there, hunched over, as her vision goes from normal to very bright to almost black then back to normal. Breathing heavily, she pushes herself upright and staggers towards the open door.

Her head pounds in sync with her heartbeat and with each step she feels like she’s coming closer and closer to falling down.

The bedroom door was left ajar, thankfully, because she’s not sure she has the dexterity at the moment to wrestle with any knobs.

She slips into the hallway, bare feet making no sound on the carpet as she passes the closed bathroom door. She hears voices from the living room and thinks she hears Hopper among them, but she’s so tired and her thoughts so muddled that she can’t be sure.

She’s on the verge of collapsing but knows that if she can just make it to Hopper she’ll be okay. He’ll make it all better.

El places her palms flat against the wall to steady herself as she creeps along the darkened hallway.

She enters the living room to find Joyce, Jonathan, and Will, the latter of whom is stretched out on the couch. No Hopper. She looks around frantically, wildly, panic bubbling up in her throat, making it hard to breathe. 

He’s left her.

Nononononono…

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Nonononononono...

She’s not sure which she’ll do first - sob, vomit, or faint. Maybe all three at once. Her left ear starts ringing all of a sudden and it throws her off balance even more.

“Sweetie!” A frazzled-looking Joyce bolts out of her chair, rattling the coffee mugs and ashtray on the table. “El, honey, Jesus, you shouldn’t be out of bed...” she approaches the girl calmly but determinedly, not wanting to startle her but recognizing how close she is to collapsing.

Jonathan is up now, too, standing behind his mother as she places her hands on El’s shoulders and looks into her eyes.

“Hop? Where...?” The girl manages to squeak out after several tries.

“He’s just in the bathroom, sweetie. He'll be out in a minute. Now c’mon, baby, come and sit on the -“

The bathroom door wrenches open and Hopper appears, looking as frantic as El.

“El! Kid, what are you doing out of bed?”

El just holds her arms out to him as her face crumples. He hurries over to her and embraces her, holding her head against his chest as she dissolves into sobs.

“Looking for you, Hop.” Joyce supplies, unable to contain the small, weary smile as she watches the bittersweet scene in front of her.

“Dammit, I slip out of the room for five minutes to use the bathroom and that’s when the kid decides to wake up.” Hopper grumbles to himself. He squeezes the girl tighter. “El, El, I’m sorry. I wanted to be there when you woke up but I drank one too many cups of coffee.”

El tries to say something but her voice is so hoarse that barely a squeak comes out, so she coughs and clears her throat and tries again.

“What was that, kid?”

“Hate coffee.” She grumbles into Hopper’s shirt.

“That’s good, cuz you’re too young to drink it. But daddy - I mean I - depend on it. Now settle down, okay, just relax.”

“Couldn’t…find you.” El forces out of her throat.

“I know, kiddo, I know. But I’m here now, okay?”

“Don’t leave.”

“I’m never gonna leave you. Don’t even think that.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. I promise. Now c'mon, back to bed. It's too soon for you to be up and walking around."


End file.
